Halo Infinite’s third-person mode delivers a fresh experience that we didn't know we needed
Halo Infinite now has a third-person mode and it's surprisingly good. It was added to the shooter with the latest update, "Winter Update 2024," on November 5, 2024. Currently, the third-person mode is only available on Custom Lobbies and the new 3P | Firefight: King of the Hill playlist — you can't use it in PvP Multiplayer modes or the shooter's Campaign mode.
Read on to learn more about Halo Infinite's third-person mode and why it is one of the best things to happen to the game.
Note: This article solely reflects the opinions of the author.
Halo Infinite's third-person mode is unexpectedly good
Halo Infinite's third-person mode is one of the best additions to the game. It is well known that Halo Infinite wasn't the best at launch — but over time, it received a lot of improvements from the developers, continuing to deliver their fans.
Of all the recent updates, the one that stood out to me most was the addition of the third-person mode. I assumed a third-person mode would not fit a shooter built from the ground up to deliver a first-person experience. But I was admittedly wrong, and this is the first time in ages I had fun in a Halo game.
So how does it exactly work? As discussed earlier, the mode is currently limited to custom lobbies and PvE Firefight playlists. Despite being available only for a couple of modes, it gave me enough to have a good time. Every gameplay element is the same — it's just the camera perspective that changes. You would expect that this shouldn't work well, but it somehow does.
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Call of Duty tried to include a third-person mode as well, and let me be honest, it wasn't fun. However, Halo's take on it was great and properly implemented. King of The Hill plays really well. Nothing feels out of place and all controls and movement fall in place seamlessly, allowing you to experience the game from a new perspective. Regardless, I would like to point out a few caveats.
It's undoubtedly a great implementation of third-person mode, but the combat doesn't feel as engaging. The game has an element of a heavy yet fluid movement system that can only be experienced in first-person. In the third-person camera mode, it was clearly lacking.
The feel of the character movement to me is what sets Halo apart from other first-person shooters. Carrying your suit onto the battlefield won't be easy, but it needs to be fluid as well, which is well captured in the first-person mode. In the third-person mode, it's way too fluid, which some may like — but I didn't enjoy it as much.
Apart from that, I would also like to point out that I only played the mode in the PvE setting. In PvP modes, where you are playing against real players, the camera view may not fit well. Players can easily check corners on maps and prevent their enemies from rushing them. This can change the pace of gameplay, which may not be ideal for the game.
Regardless of my concerns, the third-person mode in Halo Infinite is a job well done. Hopefully, we will see this mode pushed into the PvP playlists.
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For the latest Halo Infinite articles, check out the links below:
- Halo Infinite cut campaign content reportedly disclosed
- Is Halo coming to PlayStation 5? Exploring possibilities
- Is Halo moving to Unreal Engine 5? Possibilities explored